Heart ailments on the rise in youth: Expert

Vijayawada: With the change of lifestyle in the modern age, heart attacks in youth has become common, said noted Cardiologist Dr K Vamsikrishna while addressing the health education programme at Vasavya Nursing Home with Dr G Samaram in the chair here on Saturday.

Dr Vamsikrishna said that 20 per cent of youth suffering from heart attacks. "They should change their lifestyle in order to prevent heart attacks," he stated. One of the main reasons for heart attack is the number of people who were afflicted by heart attack in their family, he pointed out.

"Lack of physical exercise, obesity, stress, lack of proper sleep and consumption of junk food could be stated as other reasons," he said. Smoking is also playing havoc with the lives of young people harming the functioning of heart, he stated.

Young people were prone to diabetes at an early age which is also causing heart attack apart from hyper-tension, he added. Stating that high level of cholesterol in blood was also damaging the heart, he said the habit of liquor which started as social drink was causing immense harm to youth.

Expressing concern over the rampant usage of marijuana and cocaine, he said that these substances were also responsible for heart attacks. Earlier, people after the age of 40 years used to get heart attacks, but nowadays young people between 20 and 30 years of age were also prone to heart attacks, he pointed out.

He suggested the youth could prevent heart attacks by changing their lifestyle and by overcoming stress, doing regular physical exercise and avoiding smoking, drinking and drugs.

People should take more fruits by avoiding fatty foods and keep themselves happy all the time to keep off the heart attacks, he said. Dr G Maru proposed a vote of thanks.